Panic AttacksCounselling & Psychologist Treatment

WHAT IS A PANIC ATTACK?

A panic attack is an episode where you feel intense panic and terror. Typical symptoms include:

a pounding heart

an overheating body or abrupt sweating, or a sudden chill in the body

feeling faint, dizzy or weak

numbing or tingling of hands

chest pain or a feeling of smothering (a common symptom which often leads people to think they are having a heart attack)

a sense of unreality

a fear of imminent disaster or loss of control

a fear of dying

Panic attacks tend to strike people suddenly and without warning. If you experience this common form of panic attack, you will generally find that the panic attacks can happen at any time, and without any obvious stimulus or cause. Most panic attacks last for a few minutes although sometimes they can continue for up to 10 minutes. In extreme cases, a panic attack may last as long as an hour, although this is unusual.

Panic attacks can come on at any age, in children, in adulthood or in the elderly, although it most commonly appears in young adults. Psychologists believe that panic attacks will affect up to 12% of Australians at some time in their lives, and it is twice as likely to affect women, rather than men.

WHAT IS PANIC DISORDER?

If panic attacks persist, psychologists will classify the occurrences as Panic Disorder. Panic disorder is often accompanied by a strong sense of anxiety between attacks – a fear about when and where the next attack might come. You can also check out our dedicated page on Panic Disorder.

It is also not uncommon for a person with panic disorder to develop specific phobias or even generalised agoraphobia (a fear of public places). A phobia of the pace or situation in which the panic attack first occurred is commonly feared and often avoided (for e.g, if you first had a panic attack when you were near a pool, you might avoid swimming altogether). Please read the relevant sections of our website if you think that your panic attacks have developed in Panic Disorder or if your panic might be specifically related to a form of phobia, such as Social Phobia, Agoraphobia or Specific Phobia.

CAN COUNSELLING THERAPY & PSYCHOLOGISTS HELP?

Early intervention and treatment with a specialist counselor or psychologist will generally help to reduce the occurrence and severity of attacks, and stop the onset of more serious illnesses like panic disorder and agoraphobia.

Panic attacks strike ordinary people, even when they don’t think they are particularly prone to anxiety. If it happens to you, don’t be afraid to seek immediate help from a counselor and prevent the attacks from negatively impacting on your life.